Entrepreneurial Flair; have you got it? Can you get it?
In the most general sense of the word, an entrepreneur is someone who organises a business venture and assumes the risk for it. But true entrepreneurship goes way beyond that simple definition.
When most people think of entrepreneurs, a few well-known names probably come to mind, Henry Ford, Alan Sugar, Bill Gates… But the truth is there are millions out there. Entrepreneurs provide real growth in an economy, they spot a gap first and move fast to exploit it. They take the risk to get the reward. They are undoubtedly a hugely important feature of any economy.
But what do they all have in common? The vast majority of them certainly didn’t start off as world conquering business moguls. Alan Sugar started off making money by boiling and selling beetroot form a stall in Hackney. He later went on to start one of the most successful British computer companies of the 80’s and 90’s. Henry Ford started off dismantling watches of friends and repairing them. He went on to start the first mass production line and give the world the first affordable car, the Ford Model T. I’m using these people as examples because they are well known but the idea holds for all entrepreneurs, famous or not.
Everyday people start up businesses doing a variety of different things, but they all have one thing in common. An idea that they can do something better than it has been done before. The idea is where all entrepreneurs start, however, the distance between the idea and the reality is probably going to be further than you imagined! One way to bridge this gap is to gain as much experience as humanly possible. A great way to do this is to learn from others. Skills you learn that may not even seem initially relative may be of great use down the line.
‘It’s much easier to learn from other people’s mistakes than from your own. It’s often much cheaper too!’ Robin Kennedy WEXO Co-Founder
Many of the companies listed on WEXO are small to medium sized enterprises, started up by experienced people who have spotted a gap in the market they know they can exploit. As members of WEXO you have the chance to get in with these companies and learn first-hand what these seasoned entrepreneurs do day to day. Opportunities within large companies are great and the experience will undoubtedly be useful. But for those of you with that entrepreneurial flair, looking to be a trail blazer of the future, these are unique opportunities that you shouldn’t over look.
Paul Stewart
WEXO STAFF
I think experience in a small or medium sized company would be extremely useful. This is because you would develop an understanding of how to build the foundation of a successful company. You would become more aware of the problems a growing firm encounters and how to overcome these. Helping to develop the brand of a small or medium sized company would be very interesting since there would be more flexibility surrounding a brand that has not already been firmly established.